So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable.
Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. (1 Cor 15:58)

Wednesday, 5 October 2016

Today Reminder – 5 October 2016

A reminder for
today

Once you were dead
because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin,
just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers
in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse
to obey God.(Ephesians 2:1-2)

Let us look at SATAN, who, as we learned, was the highest
created being whom God called into existence, who rebelled against God, whose
transgression has brought all the misery that exists into the world, and whose
doom and final incarceration in hell will be accomplished at the proper time.
In the present article we are, to study the subject of DEMONS. This is such a
big theme that it will be impossible for us to enter into an adequate
discussion of any phase of it, but we can note the highlights.

As stated above, Satan was the highest creature whom God
called into existence. He was “the anointed cherub that covereth” and was,
after the creation of the universe, in Eden, the garden of God (Ezekiel 28). A
careful study of this chapter shows that Satan at that time was in control of
this earth. He caused all the traffic and trade to gravitate toward himself.
From various hints here and there in the Scriptures, it becomes apparent that
when unrighteousness entered his heart, Satan accomplished a rebellion against
God. This was caused, of course, among the angels, who were created free moral
agents. That there was such a revolution against the government of God is quite
evident from an allusion to it in Job 25. There the statement is made, “He
maketh peace in his high places” (Job 25:2). He could only make peace by
putting down rebellion and insurrection. But the whole chapter is dealing with
that subject. We see another allusion to it in Revelation 12. In this passage
the serpent is the one who drags one third of the stars of heaven down. Since
this serpent is none other than the dragon, the devil, the adversary of God, it
is quite evident that the stars mentioned there are not literal bodies but are
used as symbols of intelligent beings whom Satan dragged down from their high
estate.

This rebellion against the government of God on the part of
Satan occurred before the creation of Adam. It is quite possible, though we may
not be dogmatic on this point, that it occurred at the time of the disaster
mentioned in Genesis 1:2. Originally God created the heavens and earth perfect
(Isaiah 45:18). Later the earth was reduced to a state of desolation and waste
— it was made void and without form. But the literal translation is: “The earth
became a desolation and a waste.” The mighty struggle that took place at that
time between Christ, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, and Satan (Isaiah
51:9) could account for such universal wreckage.

There seems to have been another falling away of the angels
during the days of Noah prior to the Flood. This is seen in such passages as
Genesis 6:1-7. There we are told that the sons of God saw the daughters of men
that they were fair. They came and formed unions with these women. From these
marriages there sprang a race of giants — men of renown. Both Peter and Jude
speak of these who at that time sinned by leaving their holy estate, by going
after strange flesh, and by committing fornication (Jude 5-7; II Pet. 2:4-12).
These who rebelled in the days of Noah have been incarcerated in the underworld
and have been kept bound with everlasting chains.

Those angels who first fell in Satan's original rebellion
are the powers in the air — the host of wickedness in the heavenly places —
which are hovering around this earth, being under the strict leadership and
control of Satan himself.

These demons, or evil spirits, inhabiting the air, have been
especially active during great crises in the past and will continue so in the
future. It seems, from a the study of the biblical account, that they are
permitted to invade the human realm, especially at times when God steps forward
in His unfolding of His plan of the ages. Someone has expressed the thought
that when God breaks through into the human realm, He allows Satan to do the
same. This doubtless is due to the fact that God does not want to force upon
man evidence which will be overwhelming. The Lord wants to allow a margin for
the exercise of faith on the part of man, because without it no man can please
God. These considerations lead to the conclusion that the demons, as well as
Satan, are under the control of God and that they cannot act unless the Lord
permits them in His wisdom to do so.

The Lord moved forward in His plan of the ages at the time
when He brought Israel out of Egyptian bondage. At that time He, figuratively
speaking, burst forth into the human realm and wrought many miracles. He worked
especially through Moses and Aaron. An account of their activities in the name
of God is found principally in the Books of Exodus and Numbers. When Moses
performed a miracle such as turning his rod into a serpent, the magicians of
Egypt who opposed him duplicated this wonder. Moses wrought his miracles by the
power of God; the magicians performed theirs by the power of Satan and demons.
When Moses turned the waters of Egypt into blood, the magicians did likewise.
When, however, Moses brought the plague of lice throughout Egypt, the magicians
were unable to duplicate this miracle. Then they confessed, “This is the finger
of God.” “And Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as
Jehovah had spoken” (Exodus 8:19). From this we see that the magicians by the
power of Satan and demons were able to duplicate the miracles performed by
Moses up to this point. Beyond this one they could not go. When one takes all
the facts into consideration, he comes to the conclusion that the Lord
permitted Satan and the demons to duplicate His miracles up to a given point in
order that the Israelites might not be forced by overwhelming evidence to
believe, but that they might have a margin for the exercise of their faith.

Another time in the history of Israel when Satan was permitted
to be especially active was during the personal ministry of our Lord. Of
course, when one scans the period intervening between the days of Moses and
those of our Lord, he sees that at various times Satan and demons did figure
prominently in the history of Israel. A glance at the Gentile world, however,
shows that demon activity has been prominent among pagan worshipers, but in
Israel during the Lord's ministry Satan was especially active. This is to be
seen in the Gospel records. A glance at the Acts of the Apostles also shows
that demon activity was in great evidence, even during the Apostolic Period.

According to Paul's prediction in I Timothy 4:1-5 demons
will be especially active in the last days of this dispensation. A glance at
conditions throughout the world shows that spiritism and other forms of demon
activity are becoming more prevalent as the days pass. All cults and many
off-color religious groups are the work of demons under the leadership of
Satan.

A perusal of the Book of Revelation shows that demon
activity will be in great evidence during the Tribulation Period; especially
under the blowing of the fifth and sixth trumpets will this be true. In
Revelation 9 we see the infernal regions being opened up and those demons which
fell in the days of Noah coming forth to plague the peoples upon the earth.
Again in Revelation 16:12f we observe three evil spirits that are like frogs
and that go forth throughout the whole world to bring the kings of the world
for a conference at the place that in Hebrew is called Har-Mageddon.
Satan with all of his hosts will be in battle array against God and the
tribulation saints and will do everything that they can to wreck the work of
God in the final war but will be defeated.

At the end of the Tribulation Period, according to Isaiah
24:21,22, all of the hosts of the high ones on high, the demons, together with
Satan, will be incarcerated in the pit of the abyss where they will be held for
“many days” — during the Millennial Age. At the expiration of this Kingdom Era,
Satan will be unloosed and will be permitted to come back and to deceive the
nations of the earth again. It is quite likely that the demons will also be
unloosed and will return to assist Satan in his machinations and evil designs.

Finally, Satan, and we may believe demons also, will be cast
into the lake of fire where they shall be tormented forever and ever — without
any cessation or letup.

Dear Christian friend, let me insist that you study all you
can in the Word of God about the activities of Satan and the demons. Have
nothing to do with anything whatsoever that has any connection with demonism.
Satan and his hosts will transform themselves into angels of light in order to
deceive, if possible, the very elect, but we are not in darkness but in the
light. Let us therefore walk as children of light, redeeming the time.

Book for the month

Many Christians feel bombarded by the messages they hear and the trends they see in our rapidly changing world. How can we resist being conformed to the pattern of this world? What will faithfulness to Christ look like in these tumultuous times? How can we be true to the gospel in a world where myths and false visions of the world so often prevail? In This is Our Time, Trevin Wax provides snapshots of twenty-first-century American Life in order to help Christians understand the times. By analyzing our common beliefs and practices (smartphone habits, entertainment intake, and our views of shopping, sex, marriage, politics, and life’s purpose), Trevin helps us see through the myths of society to the hope of the gospel. As faithful witnesses to Christ, Trevin writes, we must identify the longing behind society’s most cherished myths (what is good, true, beautiful), expose the lie at the heart of these myths (what is false and damaging), and show how the gospel tells a better story – one that exposes the lie but satisfies the deeper longing.

Movie of the month

The pre-ministry life of Jesus from his baptism with John the Baptist to his exploration of the wilderness